The New Normal
Every year I’m tasked with determining what topic feels most pressing to explore for our annual essay series. That was harder this year than usual. The pandemic has put a lot of things in sharp relief—and maybe for the best—that includes what we consider “normal.”
Are you normal? In whose estimation?
Was your last year normal? By what metrics?
What about the year before that?
Over the next few weeks, we’ll release nine thoughtful essays exploring a different aspect of this idea. Is feeling “normal” part of feeling like you belong? Mike Soto’s essay asks this in the face of wrongful accusations and eviction.
Anne Ray—whose novel in stories will be coming out from Awst in 2022—looks at what’s lost when you lose a commute, and Thao Votang taps into the communal anxiety of watching the world fall apart while working alone at home. Marcelle Heath—whose story collection will also come out from Awst in 2022—dives into the world of the Zoom dress code and etiquette for authors: what’s become normal, and do we want it to be? Mike Ingram also tackles the unspoken role of aesthetics as he looks back at his preppy childhood wardrobe and the security it was supposed to represent.
Paul Hile’s essay looks tenderly at what’s been gained as everything falls apart, and Caitlyn Renee Miller writes of finally trying to be normal—and the pleasant surprise of derailed plans. Conversely, Bridget Brewer’s personal essay looks back on the terror of being confined to unnatural normalcy and the freedom that could be gained from letting it go.
Finally, Olivia Pepper’s speculative essay offers a glimpse into an optimistic future. It’s a hopeful response to the question, “What is the new normal?” Or perhaps, what do we want it to be?
Happy reading,
Tatiana Ryckman
Editor, Awst Press